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During what is expected to be his final international trip as president, Biden will visit Angola in Africa to explore the country’s history, particularly focusing on a slavery museum. Additionally, he will draw attention to a rail corridor that is significant to his administration’s economic strategy in the region.
Written by Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Zolan Kanno-Youngs is a journalist who reports on the White House and will be accompanying President Biden on Air Force One during his trip to Angola.
President Biden will start his planned trip to Africa by traveling to Angola on Sunday night. The purpose of this visit is to recognize the difficult history shared between the two nations and to show a commitment to future economic investments.
The visit to Africa by Mr. Biden marks the first time an American president has visited the continent since Barack Obama’s trip to Kenya and Ethiopia in 2015.
Mr. Biden’s recent visit to Africa is expected to be his final trip abroad while serving as president. This visit follows his promise in 2022 to show the United States’ commitment to Africa’s future. Despite some setbacks, Mr. Biden is currently on a three-day diplomatic tour of Angola. During his visit, he plans to tour a slavery museum and highlight a rail corridor that his team sees as a key aspect of his administration’s economic approach in the region.
A project called the Lobito Corridor, which is estimated to cost $1 billion, aims to connect Angola with Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These countries have an abundance of critical minerals needed for making batteries for smartphones and electric vehicles. President Biden is promoting this project to strengthen American access to these important resources in Africa and to counter China’s increasing presence and influence on the continent.
Even though the Biden administration has made efforts to improve relations, the United States is still falling behind China and Russia in terms of economic and security influence in Africa, as noted by foreign policy experts.
Tibor P. Nagy Jr., who served as an ambassador in Africa under President Bill Clinton and later as assistant secretary of state for African affairs under the Trump administration, expressed that post-colonial Africa has been neglected by the US. He criticized administrations for having ambitious African strategies that lack substance, comparing it to a famous advertisement asking, "Where is the beef?"
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